At the beginning of the seventh grade, Cameron Fachman was, like seemingly everyone else at New Albany Middle School, a huge fan of the Hunger Games books.

By the end of the school year, he was in District 12 — home of Katniss and Peeta, the two main characters — for a role in the movie.

The 14-year-old appears in the dramatic “reaping” scene, in which two children from the district are selected to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games.

After learning of the opportunity from an agent, Fachman auditioned to play a “tribute” from another district but was instead asked to portray a District 12 resident.

He figures he lucked out: His first character would have died.

He hopes to be cast, too, in future Hunger Games movies.

Fachman recently filmed a small speaking role in the 2013 sci-fi feature Ender’s Game, which stars Harrison Ford and young Hugo actor Asa Butterfield.

He’ll spend the summer at an acting institute in New York, hoping to land a part one day in a movie somehow bigger than The Hunger Games.

“Even if he goes on to be a lead in a movie someday, it will never be the same as what this was,” said his mother, Alice.

“It’s his absolute favorite book on the planet, and he got to live in District 12.”

Earlier this week, Fachman discussed the two weeks he spent last spring filming The Hunger Games in North Carolina.

Q: What role do you play in the scene during which Peeta is picked for the games?

A: All the boys in the crowd around Josh (Hutcherson, who plays Peeta) slowly realize it’s him and turn and look at him. In the trailer of the movie, you can see my face and my reaction: “Oh, my gosh, it’s Peeta.”

It’s a very dramatic, heart-stopping scene because you see all these innocent kids and one kid is picked.

Q: How would you describe the experience as a District 12 resident?

A: I had to wear old clothes and very dirty clothes.

It’s funny: In most movies, people put makeup on you. In Hunger Games, you literally have people put dirt on you — dirt in your fingernails and dirt on your face.

Q: What did you learn from shooting one scene for weeks?

A: It really shows that actors have to have endurance. What I saw from Jennifer Lawrence playing Katniss was, . . . every time, she did it in her own way.

To see that unfold a few inches from you is amazing.

Q: Seeing yourself in the movie, what will you think?

A: Most of the people at my school are going to the midnight premiere, and they’re like “See you in there!”

I’m going to be very tired . . . (today), but it’s going to be a worth-it kind of tired. It’s like “Why are you tired?” “I was seeing The Hunger Games and watching me.”